The Gates
by darkshadow229
Summary: In a quiet cemetery lies two rows of graves. But this is no ordinary cemetery and these aren't any regular graves. Is this the final frontier?
1. Chapter 1

The Gates

**You guys really wanted a sequel/epilogue/companion to the Purgatory so I decided that I might as well give it to you since I'm a little bit excited to do it.**

**Benny: In other words, he's bored and you guys are lucking out on the benefits since you voted and asked for it a ton. Man, you're desperate for attention, darkshadow.**

**Not really. I actually shy away from the spotlight but enough about me. **

**Now, of course, since this is connected to the Purgatory, there will be references to the Purgatory. I'd say at least ten but there'll probably be more.**

**So let's go on with the story!**

* * *

On the late evening of March 24th, Peach Creek Cemetery was quiet as the graves, large and small, stood in the hundreds behind a black iron fence on the northern side of the town. In the eerie silence of the suburb as the light blue skyline littered with clouds gave way to purple, pink and eventually a dark black sky, a young boy around the age of 11 stood up in one of the upper rows of the cemetery. He had eggshell-colored skin, a black crew cut and dark brown eyes. He wore a white dress shirt with a knitted grey sweater, knee-length pants and sandals with ankle socks. The boy carried a plank of wood with two eyes and a smile drawn on it with crayon.

The boy said "It sure is nice out, right, Plank?"

Plank, of course gave no response verbally. The boy nodded, though with a calm smile on his face as if nothing could stop or bother him.

The boy replied "Yep but I don't know why we're outside, buddy. It feels a little chilly out here. What's that, Plank? Turn around?"

The boy, Jonny Rogers, slowly turned around to see a large headstone with a small six-inch stone cross at the top. The top of the headstone had a few bunches of flowers and there were also flowers placed at the bottom of the headstone. The headstone said "Jonathan Rogers: Loved Son, Friend, Brother: April 1st, 1912 – March 20th, 1924" on it.

Jonny quietly chuckled as he said "That's funny. My name's on this grave thing, Plank. It must be Madison and some of the other McCurry kids playing tricks on me".

Plank once again gave no response.

Jonny held Plank closer to his ear as he responded with "What's that, Plank? Nah, it must be a trick. Maybe that guy over there knows something about it."

Jonny walked over to a young man who looked to be about 13 or 14. The boy had dark brown hair and hazel eyes and wore a flannel shirt under a green jacket with denim jeans and sneakers. He had a grin on his face as he noticed Jonny.

The boy said "Heya, neighbor! I am Ed, leader of the dark children!"

Jonny replied "Hi, I'm Jonny, nice to meet ya. What is this place?"

Ed responded with "This is the second home of the dark children. It's where we occasionally play, see and wander. We're all around the same age except for Jimmy and Sarah. They're both 11."

Jonny asked "I'm 11 too. What's with these grave things? Are they some sort of trick?"

Ed shook his head and answered "No, they're not. I think they're there to remind us of our fates and to not forget who we are. I sure haven't."

Jonny asked "How many of us are there?"

Ed answered "Seven. No, wait, eight including you. Eleven if you count…the Kankers." before he shuddered.

Jonny said "That's a lot of kids. Where is everybody else?"

Ed answered "They're in the cul-de-sac. One or two might come out now. But I really don't know."

A young boy who looked about 14 suddenly appeared not far from where Jonny and Ed was. The boy had a black sock hat covering his scalp and light brown eyes. He wore a red T-shirt with a jacket, jeans and sneakers. He actually looked nervous and curious at the same time.

The boy asked "Excuse me. Where am I?"

Jonny answered "Heya, pal. I'm Jonny and he's Ed. You're in the second home, as Ed called it."

The boy responded with "I'm Eddward. Nice to meet you, Jonny and Ed." before he stuck out his hand towards Jonny and Ed.

Jonny reluctantly shook Eddward's hand while Ed stared at Eddward's hand for a few seconds and hugged him. Ed soon let go of Eddward and looked down at the ground.

Ed said "Sorry. Force of habit."

Eddward replied "That's fine, Ed. So why are we all in a cemetery?"

Ed responded with "Jonny ended up leaving his home in the cul-de-sac and came here. That's also the case with you. Don't worry, we should be back in the cul-de-sac soon."

Eddward asked "My home? That's where it actually is. I've seen the cul-de-sac itself but rarely ventured outside of it or even in it for that matter. But in all honesty, why are we really here?"

Whatever answer Eddward may have received was interrupted by footsteps. A middle-aged man who appeared to be in his 50's appeared in the row that the boys were in. He had long licorice black hair and bright green eyes and he wore a light blue jumpsuit with the name "Jerry" on the top part of the jumpsuit and a light blue cap. The man was accompanied by a younger man who appeared to be in his 20's or 30's. The younger man had blond-brown hair, blue eyes and he wore the same outfit as his older coworker but with the name "N.L." on his part of the jumpsuit.

Jerry said "Nico, I'm not hallucinating, am I? There aren't three boys here, are there?"

Nico replied "There are or else I'm going crazy too. Why are they here?"

Jerry responded calmly with "Nico, you've lived here for only half as long as I have. Kids sneak into this place for every damn reason you could think of. Let's just tell them to get lost and go home."

Ed turned around to Jerry and Nico, smiled with a wide grin and said "Morning, sirs! I'm Ed!"

Jerry's beige-colored face seemed to turn pale at that proclamation and he nearly dropped the liquor bottle in his right hand. Nico actually had the same reaction before color slowly returned to his face and his heart began to slow down again.

Jerry asked "Sorry, kid. You said your name was Ed. Ed McKenzie?"

Nico replied "Jerry, didn't that kid die like 50 years ago?"

Jerry replied "60 years, Nico. Kid got stabbed by a few Klan wannabes. He and his little sister died within three days of each other."

Ed's smile slowly faded into a frown and he solemnly nodded.

Nico began to back away and said "No way, man. This isn't real. We drank way too much, Jerry."

Jerry looked down at his liquor bottle and remarked "I don't know about you, kid but my bottle is still more than half full and I don't usually start seeing stuff until it's empty. If this is real, then Satan's playing tricks with us."

Jonny asked "Who's Satan? Some banker or baseball player?"

Nico answered "Just because you're in a cemetery doesn't mean you could joke around like that, kid. Not that it was a good joke to begin with but it's still disrespectful."

Eddward responded with "Excuse me, Mr. Nico but there must be some kind of mistake. My acquaintances and I are just trying to get home."

Nico's eyes widened as he said "Wait a minute. You're Eddward Green. The kid that died in that chemical accident at Peach Creek Junior High. There's a scholarship named after you."

Eddward nervously chuckled and replied "I'm afraid you're mistaken, sir. I'm Eddward Green but as you can certainly see, I'm not deceased and in fact very much alive."

Jerry spat on the ground and said "No, you're dead, Green. I should know. I still remember the day my old pal and I had your funeral. Half of the town was there and there was a bunch of crying people. You got buried not long after. As a matter of fact, your grave is a few down from your buddy's."

Jerry and Nico walked down past Jonny, Ed and Eddward towards a large headstone covered with flowers and the headstone had several cards placed at the bottom along with a stuffed bear.

The headstone had Eddward's picture on it and said "Eddward Peter Green, May 12th, 1984 – June 25th, 1998. Dear son, friend, classmate, nephew and grandson. You will truly be missed".

Eddward's face paled and he stuttered "T-That's i-impossible…"

Jerry said "It's not impossible, kid. You and your friends have been dead as a doorknob for years. Decades, even. I personally don't like seeing dead bodies and unlike Nico here, I don't believe in any zombie apocalypses."

Nico interrupted Jerry when he replied "I don't believe in zombie apocalypses, Jerry. I just believe that maybe spirits exist in people's bodies like in Shintoism."

Jerry said "Nico's a philosophy major at Peach Creek Tech. Can you believe that? Now, back to what I was saying. As far as I know, your bodies are still in the coffins which mean one of two things: I'm drunk and having weird hallucinations which I doubt or you three are here to tempt us into doing something bad which I'm not going to let you do."

Nico asked "What are we going to do, Jerry?"

Jerry squinted his eyes at two people in an adjacent row and said "Forget about what we do with them for now. Who the hell are they?"

The two people were a boy who looked to be about 13 and a girl who was about the same age. The boy had jet black hair and dark brown eyes. He wore a white tunic with long blue pants and black shoes. The girl, had short blond hair and blue eyes. She, on the other hand, wore more modern clothing. She wore a red sweatshirt with a blue varsity jacket over it, acid-washed jeans and a pair of white tennis shoes.

The boy asked "Where are we, Nazz girl of Tampa?"

The girl answered "I don't know, Rolf. Maybe those guys over there know where we are."

Nico said "Is that Nazari Lincoln?"

Jerry nodded and answered "Yep, it definitely is, Nico. Got murdered along with most of her family in the infamous Christmas Eve slay of 1990. Only people that survived were Dewey, Kate and you."

Nico shuddered and replied "Don't remind me. Uncle Dewey and Aunt Kate did enough. We must be dreaming." before he tried to hit himself in the face.

Jerry shook his head and said "Nah, like I said before, Nico, this is real. Only thing we can do is try to put them out of their misery." as he picked up a small rock from the ground.

Jerry threw the rock at Jonny who muttered in pain. Nico soon followed with a slightly larger rock that barely missed Eddward. The two began to throw rocks, cans and any other items that they could find on the ground. Rolf and Nazz tried to stop them but soon found themselves under attack as well.

Jerry said "These things aren't working well enough, Nico. You took the test for your concealed carry permit."

Nico replied "Yeah, last year with Uncle Dewey. Hang on, Jerry, you're not thinking of…"

Jerry nodded and responded with "I would hate to do it but chances are even if we didn't, somebody else would. Besides, they're all going to Hell, anyway." before he took out a 10mm Glock pistol.

Nico soon followed with a SP 2022 as Eddward and Jonny gulped in fear. They weren't the only ones to show shock, fear and panic at the actions of the duo. The only thing that was stopping Rolf from outright running away was the fact that they would still most likely injure if not kill him anyway.

The two had switched off the safety on their respective weapons and were about to aim and shoot when suddenly, a voice shouted out.

"Stop right there, Jerome Kenneth Garefin and Nicolas Theodore Lincoln!"

Nico almost dropped his gun in shock while Jerry's mouth dropped at the sudden sight in front of them.

Jerry said "What the hell?"

In between the kids and Jerry and Nico was a man who appeared to be in his 20's. The man had sandy blond hair and hazel eyes and wore a white T-shirt with a pair of blue pants with a pair of canvas shoes. That wasn't what was shocking about the man in particular. The shock came from the pair of large, white, angelic wings on the man's back.

The man said "You always did have a little too much faith, Jerome."

Jerry replied "I don't know how on earth you know my name, freak or Nico's but if you don't get out of our way, you're gonna regret it!"

The man said "Jerome, none of this has to happen. The children will be unharmed no matter what you decide to do. So you and Nicolas might as well put your weapons down on the ground."

Jerry shot his pistol at Ed in response. The bullet went straight but then stopped as if it hit a solid wall and fell to the ground. Jerry's eyes went from Ed to the bullet and then to the man.

The man said with conviction in his voice "Leave now, Jerome and Nicolas."

Jerry absent-mindedly nodded and Nico and Jerry turned around and began to walk out of the cemetery.

Jerry asked with a mix of fear and shock entering his voice "W-Who are you?"

The man answered "I am Zachary and I protect these kids from anyone who aims to hurt them like you. Now be gone."

Nico and Jerry continued to walk towards the entrance of the cemetery while the kids looked at them then at Zachary with surprise, amazement and gratitude.

Nazz asked "What was that?"

Zachary answered "That was the power of control, Nazari. A small dog may act like it is a big, tough dog but when it encounters an even bigger dog who is willing to put up a fight, that small dog will back down."

Eddward asked "Although that was an insightful and intriguing answer, I don't believe that was the answer Nazz had in mind. First of all, sir, who really are you and how did you manage to prevent those two from causing us harm?"

Zachary replied "Like I told those two men, Eddward, I am Zachary, son of Lillian and Judas and an angel of the Fifth Order. I've been watching over you and your friends for quite a long time now but I've never seen any of you in the overworld regularly before apart from Edward. As for how I stopped those two men, my protection of you was enough evidence along with my power of control which I inserted into my speech to them."

Nazz asked "Why are you calling this place the overworld?"

Zachary answered "It is called the overworld as it is Earth where you are now. The underworld is where all of you were. Unfortunately, I will have to take you back there now as it is no longer safe to be up here."

Jonny asked "Why?"

Zachary replied "Jonathan, as I'm sure you know; there are people in the world who do not take kindly to the abnormal. Jerome and Nicolas may be powerless now but they will probably contact authorities soon, telling them to come here. Therefore, I will have to return you to the underworld. Don't worry. The flash won't blind you."

Before anyone could ask what he meant, all of them were suddenly engulfed in a white flash for a brief moment. When that moment was over, Zachary and the children were gone. The only evidence of their appearance would be a small gust of wind and a mildly singed bullet casing from Jerry's Glock pistol.

* * *

**That wraps up the beginning of the Gates. I know you may want to know more about what was going on there but I don't want to spoil the whole thing in one go.**

**Benny: That sure hasn't stopped you before.**

**This actually didn't match my original plans for this story. But sometimes things don't go the way you planned and sometimes that's a good thing.**

**Benny: We'll see if that's true here.**

**So share your thoughts in the reviews and I should have the second chapter up by May 7****th****. **


	2. Chapter 2

The Gates chapter 2

**Here is chapter 2 of the Gates! Now things should be getting a little clearer or interesting in this one but who knows for sure.**

**Benny: You should know. It's your story.**

**Maybe but sometimes a story can take a voice of its own. So I'll reply to a couple comments.**

**tigerlover101- Yeah, the Gates and its prequel/companion the Purgatory are both based on the Ed, Edd n Eddy cartoon theory.**

**vaporwave babe- I'm glad you're excited. I aim to please everyone.**

**Benny: That's the biggest understatement I've ever heard in my life. **

**I doubt it, Benny. Now let's get this chapter started!**

* * *

The four children and the angel suddenly materialized in a flash of white light in the middle of a cul-de-sac with several homes on each side of the street. The cul-de-sac appeared like any other ordinary American suburb. However, there was a meager eerie feel in the area. It wasn't frightening but it still managed to unconsciously send chills down a person's back.

Jonny looked at a small green house with a wooden roof and said "That's our house, Plank! I don't remember leaving it, though."

Zachary responded with "When you five left your homes, you must have somehow gone through the Stream into the overworld. It does happen but it's mostly rare. The last time I've seen it happen…"

Zachary let his response hang off as he looked somewhat uncomfortably at his hands. Nazz and Eddward, in particular, felt uncomfortable and mildly awkward as a result of this action. Jonny, Rolf and Ed seemed unaffected and in Ed's case, curious at Zachary's response.

Ed asked "Mister Zachary, what's the Stream?"

Zachary answered "Well, Ed, the Stream is the gap between this place and Earth. In other words, it's like a train station or airport. People pass through it but the Stream is also a world in itself. I've rarely ventured into or through it over the years."

Nazz asked "So why did we all end up here?"

Zachary replied "You all ended up here due to one event or another that occurred prior to or during your deaths. I can't actually tell you any more than that, I'm afraid."

Eddward looked around the cul-de-sac and said "This feels peculiar. I feel like there's something or someone missing in all of this."

Rolf replied "I agree with Hat-wearing-Ed-boy. There is a space as wide as Nana's old bull here."

A young boy of about 13 years of age slowly walked out into the cul-de-sac from his home. The boy had black hair and brown eyes. He wore a yellow long-sleeved cotton dress shirt and long black pants with ankle socks and leather shoes.

The boy said "What's going on here?"

Zachary answered "Just a simple return back here. Eduardo Johnson, I presume?"

Eduardo's eyes narrowed as he responded with "The name's Eddy. Only person that calls me Eduardo are teachers and my folks."

Eddy continued "How do you know my name anyway? Are you a copper?"

Zachary answered "No, I'm an angel, actually. I know your name the same way I know theirs."

Eddward replied "What Mr. Zachary is trying to say is that we are unfortunately deceased and this is apparently a sort of residency until we could ascend to Heaven. I have a hard time believing so but what I've seen thus far says otherwise partially."

Eddy's eyes then widened as he took a step backwards in what appeared to be shock. His mouth almost opened wide before Eddy quickly regained his composure.

Eddy said "There's no way that I'm dead. I'm 13 and I'll be at Peach Creek High School next fall."

Eddward replied "I'm supposed to be at Peach Creek High School this fall. I was supposed to be part of the class of 2002."

Eddy's eyebrows rose before he responded with "Class of 2002? Maybe for you but for me, I'm gonna be part of the class of 1945."

Zachary said "The year, boys, is actually 2015. I hope that would be more than enough proof to satisfy your skepticism, Eddy."

Eddy replied "I guess so. But if that's true, then how do we get out of here?"

Zachary said in a low tone "I'm afraid you don't. Eddward left out a detail that I admittedly forgot to say myself. This world is a sort of holding cell in between Earth, Heaven, the Stream and Hell. That's why most angels including myself refer to it as the Abyss."

Ed said "It is really quiet. I think my sister, Sarah's here too. We've been almost always together."

Zachary responded with "I hope for your sake, Ed that she isn't actually here."

Nazz replied "Yeah, dude, this place is starting to give me the creeps with everything we've heard."

Eddy asked "I think the big question is what we are going to do now that we're here? We're stuck here unless we can do something. I can but I don't know about you bunch of crumbs."

Rolf answered "Crumbs? What are these crumbs you speak of, fancy-Ed-boy?"

Eddward replied "I don't think there is anything we can do, Eddy apart from trying to do the best we can in these circumstances."

Eddy snorted and responded with "Easy for you to say, Sockhead. I'm dead, poor and my family's probably relaxing up in some other place like Heaven while I'm stuck in a lifelong nightmare with no friends, no girls, nothing."

Jonny replied "This sounds like something we could solve, right, Plank?" as he looked at the smiling piece of wood.

Eddy said "I could help you two. You know, for a price." with a grin having appeared on his face.

Jonny stuck his hands into the pockets of his hands and replied "You got a deal, pal!" before he stuck his hand for Eddy to shake.

Eddy shook it as Eddward and Zachary looked on in surprise. Ed appeared confused while Nazz and Rolf looked indifferent. Eddy looked around the cul-de-sac before he noticed that the cul-de-sac led into a larger area.

Eddy asked "Hey, fluffy wings, how big is this place? It's almost like a town."

Zachary answered "My name is Zachary, Eddy. The cul-de-sac itself isn't that large but the realm also includes a nearby forest and river along with the surrounding community and a trailer park."

Eddward interrupted with a curious look on his face as he said "Excuse me, Mr. Zachary but if I understand correctly, the cul-de-sac doesn't include any other areas but is an area in itself."

Zachary nodded and stated "Yes, Eddward, it is."

The conversation was interrupted shortly after by a shout of "Ed!"

Ed replied loudly "Sarah! Where are you?"

Sarah said "I'm over here, you big lump."

Sarah appeared to be about 11 or 12. She had red hair and green eyes which was actually the opposite of Ed's appearance. She wore a light blue dress with ballet flats and she also had a red hair band. Her arms were crossed and she had a scowl on her face.

Eddy asked "That's your sister, Ed? She's a loud, little shrimp, isn't she?"

Sarah answered "Yeah, I'm his sister and who are you calling a shrimp?"

Nazz said "Hey, can everybody just chill out? Things aren't going well but that doesn't mean we should put each other down."

Sarah's eyes narrowed as she replied "Who are you?"

Nazz responded calmly with "I'm Nazz. Nice to meet you."

Sarah said curtly "I'm Sarah." before she turned her attention back to Ed.

Sarah said angrily "You're supposed to be watching me, Ed! Mom said so and if you don't do what I say, I'll tell on you." before a sinister smile appeared on her face.

Ed looked sad but didn't divulge to his sister the reason as he merely replied "Yes, Sarah."

Nazz looked behind Sarah and asked "Who's that?"

The person Nazz had seen behind Sarah was a small, very slim boy of 11 years of age. The boy had curly blond hair and blue eyes. He wore a blue shirt under a red jacket and jeans with a pair of worn Converse sneakers. He looked pale to the point of being sickly.

Sarah nodded her head back in that direction and answered "That's Jimmy. He's my new friend and he's 11."

Jimmy looked up nervously and said lowly and quietly "Hi."

Ed smiled widely and responded with "Hiya, neighbor! I'm Ed!"

Eddward said "Greetings Jimmy. I'm Eddward."

A young man of about 14 years of age appeared not far from where Nazz and Rolf were. He had red hair and green eyes and wore a red cap backwards on his head. He wore a green T-shirt and jeans with a pair of Jordans.

The boy said "Hey. What's going on here?"

Eddy replied "Just a small thing, kid. Nothing for you to worry about."

The boy's eyes narrowed as he responded with "It's my business, shorty. Now who do you think you are?"

Eddy smirked and said "I'm Eddy. Who are you?"

The boy replied "I'm Kevin Lanston, dork. Biggest rebel in all of Peach Creek."

Eddy's eyebrows rose as he prepared to make a verbal comeback. But Zachary glared at him so Eddy ceased and settled for glaring at Kevin.


	3. Chapter 3

The Gates chapter 3

**Here we are, chapter 3! This could be one of the last few chapters.**

**Benny: I'm not surprised. Maybe you should be better at time management instead of trying to juggle exams, homework and fun all at the same time.**

**I'm trying to multitask, Benny. You should try it sometime. Anyway, I'll reply to the comments now.**

**Mr. legoman – Thanks, that's good to hear. **

**Now, let's move on to the chapter!**

* * *

Eddy and Kevin had been glaring at each other while Sarah and Jimmy played together. Jonny held Plank close to his body, feeling a mild surge of fear coursing through his body. Eddward was in active conversation with Ed and Nazz was attempting to speak to Zachary who was trying to motion something with his hands.

Rolf warily said "Ah, Tall-angel-man, what will we do next?"

Zachary answered "I'm exactly not certain about that, Rolf. As I said before, you'll most likely simply live out your lives here until the Dawn comes or when the Angel Council deems you all worthy. That's how some of you got here."

Jonny looked up from Plank and asked "I was holding the hands of two people when Plank and I fell. Is that what happened?"

Zachary nodded and answered "Yes, Jonny, the Angel Council did not deem you worthy of being able to enter Heaven. I personally find that ridiculous but unfortunately, I don't make the rules."

Nazz crossed her arms together and replied "Let me guess, you just enforce them."

Zachary said "Precisely. I'm not happy with the way the Angel Council operates things but like most lower-level angels, I am powerless to do anything about it."

Eddy snorted and replied "Yeah, sure, Angel Boy, just pass the buck like all the other workers."

Kevin replied "Like a poor kid like you would know anything about working or money, loser."

Eddy sharply responded with "At least people actually like me, shovelchin!"

Kevin's eyes narrowed as he said "People like me too, dork. I'm the most popular kid at my high school. How popular are you?"

Eddy was about to answer when Eddward intervened with "You're already in high school, Kevin?"

Kevin nodded in the affirmative and answered "Yeah, I'm a freshman. Or at least I was before I apparently died."

Ed said "I'm not sure why I died. All I could remember is that I got stabbed in the stomach and then I woke up here."

Eddward replied "That sounds horrific, Ed. I am downcast for your loss, even if it is a self-loss."

Rolf responded with "Rolf is sad for you too, Chip-tooth-Ed-boy."

Kevin's eyes widened as he said loudly "Wait a minute, Rolf guy. Are you telling me three of those morons are named Ed? Wow, dorks, I almost feel sorry for you. Roll call must suck with teachers trying to find out who's who."

Eddy stated with annoyance "Sorry to disappoint you, roadkill but I never met either of these mooks before tonight."

Eddward responded with "I have to agree with Eddy. None of us knew each other prior to our arrival here. However, that isn't limited to just me, Ed and Eddy. Save for Ed and Sarah and Jonny and Plank, none of us have encountered one another even in passing before now."

Zachary said "That would be correct, Eddward. However, Ed had known three of your fellow residents. Of course, none of the rest of you have but you'll more than likely meet them soon enough knowing how confined this place is."

Nazz asked "Ed, who are these guys that Zachary are talking about? You must know something about them."

Ed answered with a pale face "They're not guys, they're actually girls. In fact, the three of them are sisters. They're called the Kankers and they're not…very nice. Honestly, they might have hearts but they guard them with iron steel if they do."

Sarah replied "They sound like real jerks but knowing you, you probably did something to get them after you, you moron."

Ed said dejectedly "Yeah, Sarah, I guess I must have."

Before Sarah could make any further remarks, Eddy intervened and said "Look, kid, I don't know ya all that well but you gotta stand up for yourself. Don't let any suckers push you around."

Jimmy quietly responded with "Yeah but boys shouldn't hit girls. Besides, Sarah's right." and said to Ed "You probably deserved it, Mister."

Sarah agreed with Jimmy as she replied "Jimmy has a point. Boys can't hit girls so you can't fight them. It serves you right anyway."

Nazz asked "What do these Kankers look like, Ed?"

Ed answered "The leader of them has curly red hair. The other two have short black hair and short blonde hair."

Jonny said "What's that, Plank? No, Nazz isn't a Kanker. At least I don't think she is." while holding Plank up to his ear.

Kevin replied "Of course, she isn't a Kanker. Tall Guy over there would have said something if she was."

Rolf asked "Tall-angel-man, what do you know about the Kankers-that-not-be-seen?"

Zachary answered "I know that the girls are like you as they died and were sent here."

Nazz crossed her arms and replied "That's not an acceptable answer, Mister Zachary."

Zachary sighed and continued "Alright, Nazz. I also know that they remain in certain parts of this realm, most notably the trailer park. They may appear to be hostile but they could actually be kind if you gave them a chance."

Eddy snorted and responded with "Yeah right, Heaven Boy. That's what teachers say to get little kindergarteners to get along with each other."

Eddward replied "I have to disagree with you on that note, Eddy. Perhaps we shouldn't judge these Kankers by their initial appearance or how we interact with them now but rather how we do later on."

Eddy responded with "Don't give me that peace-and-love mumbo-jumbo, Sockhead. Anyway, if that's true, then where are these Kanker girls? We should've run into them earlier."

A few minutes after Eddy said those words, a sudden silence put a halt to all talking among the kids. The faint sounds of stomping reached the children's ears as well as those of Zachary's, although he heard the sound much clearer and louder.

Nazz nervously asked "Guys, does anyone else hear something?"

Kevin rubbed the back of his head and answered with mild panic "Uh, yeah…maybe we should go someplace else."

Before Nazz or anybody else could reply or take Kevin up on that suggestion, three girls appeared from a nearby path. The first girl was about 15 years old and true to Ed's word, had curly red hair. The girl also had green eyes and wore a white T-shirt with blue gym shorts and white low tops.

The second girl was 14 years old and had short black hair and dark brown eyes. She wore a blue polo shirt with denim shorts and black Converses.

The third girl was also 14 years old and had short blonde hair and blue eyes. She wore a orange tie-dye T-shirt with gray sweatpants and white sneakers.

None of the three girls seemed particularly frightening in appearance, save for possibly Lee as she was slightly taller than even Kevin and her eyes were mainly hidden by her hair. The fear mainly came from their demeanor. Lee had an eager, evil grin on her face and Marie had the same expression while May smirked at everyone.

Lee put her hands on her waist, leaned forward and said "Well, what do we have here, ladies? A bunch of pathetic losers wandering around our turf? That's a death wish."

Marie looked curiously at Eddward and replied "Yeah but there are a few decent guys so why don't we go and spare them from the slaughter?"

Lee smirked and teased Marie when she responded with "Going soft now, huh, Marie?"

Marie growled "I ain't going soft. I just don't wanna attack a potential boyfriend."

Lee said "There are no boundaries in war, Marie. Isn't that right, May?"

May shrugged, smiled and replied "Why don't we just teach them a lesson?"

Marie reluctantly nodded and said "Yeah, that's right. We'll teach you brats to go running around where you shouldn't."

As the Kankers started to step towards the kids, Eddy shouted "Run for it!"

The kids began to run in different directions as the three Kankers stopped in their tracks and stared at them. The three Kankers then looked at each other and smirked.

May suggested "Should we even go after the runts? They seem scared enough without us having to do any damage."

Lee replied with a grin "We might as well. Freaking them out is only half the fun. Besides, I got a few new moves I've been dying to try out."

Zachary coolly warned "I'd advise you not to do that. They already have a bad view of you and violence would only increase the tension and hatred."

Lee's eyes narrowed as she glared at Zachary and responded with "Just who are you to tell us what to do, Whitewings? Just because you're some kind of angel doesn't mean you're the boss of anyone, least of all us."

Marie said "Yeah, Whitewings, go back to your little preppy friends up in the sky and leave us to do what we want."

Zachary replied with a tinge of anger and impatience "What you want is to hurt the other kids for no apparent reason other than your own joy, amusement and pleasure. I refuse to let that happen."

Lee said mockingly with a smirk "Just what are you going to do about it, Whitewings? Send us down to Hell?"

Zachary put his hands together before spreading them apart and muttered "_Caveam aeris_". A large, still bubble formed around the Kankers, effectively trapping them inside. The three began to pound on the walls of the bubble while Zachary looked up at them with calm indifference.

Zachary said "No, just put you in what you humans call 'timeout'. Perhaps calming down is just what you need."

* * *

**So that's chapter 3 finished! So there's only a chapter or two left and I should have the entire story done by Independence Day.**

**Benny: So you plan to finish this by next Saturday? Yeah, you're never going to make that deadline.**

**I plan to and with school ending, I just might have a lot more free time on my hands. After I'm done with the Gates, I plan to finish Social Care like I promised. Then I might start the sequel to Vampire Street and perhaps a reboot of TDI Again.**

**Benny: So you plan to do a remake of one of your crummy Total Drama stories and a sequel to another one of your terrible Total Drama stories? That won't happen for a long time, I'm calling it.**

**Call whatever you want, Benny. I want to do those and I plan to do those.**


	4. Chapter 4

The Gates chapter 4

**Chapter 4! Possibly/probably the last chapter of this story.**

**Benny: Did you expect nothing more from him? He takes shortcuts with these stories half the time.**

**This will hopefully tie everything together and put the Purgatory series (I guess it's now a series?) to a close.**

**Benny: Finally, about time.**

**Anyway, on with the story!**

* * *

The Kankers frantically pounded on the bubble as Zachary looked up at them with his arms crossed and sternness. Meanwhile, the kids were scattered across the cul-de-sac, hiding in fear. The majority of the children were hiding by themselves with the exception of the pair of Jimmy and Sarah and the pair of Eddy and Eddward.

Ed hid behind a shrub in the front yard of Jimmy's house, the farthest one from the middle of the cul-de-sac. As Ed crouched down behind the shrub, he tried to look through the leaves for the Kankers in case they came by his hiding place. But they didn't so Ed cautiously and slowly stood up and looked around.

Ed thought '_I don't see those three anywhere. Maybe they just got tired of chasing us and they're keeping to themselves instead but that doesn't sound like something the Kankers would do. Although, I wouldn't be surprised if they did._'

Ed began to walk towards the middle of the cul-de-sac in order to find out what was going on. Meanwhile, Nazz was crouched by a tree on the outskirts of the wood, not very far from the playground. She began to feel concerned when she heard no noise, least of all the Kankers' casual but fiery shouting and jeering. She felt worry and fear fester and grow within her as she began to breathe nervously. Unlike Ed, she interpreted silence as a negative thing as even the squeals and cries of young, small children would have been better than complete quiet in this instance.

Nazz thought '_I haven't heard a thing for miles since we all ran off. This is creepy. Maybe I should go and see if everything is OK, especially since we just left Zachary with them._' before she lifted her head up a few inches to see if any foes were approaching her position.

Nazz sighed in relief and got out from behind the tree and looked around. The playground was deserted, of course but she had no idea where the others so she began to cautiously walk back towards the middle of the cul-de-sac, looking over her shoulder every five seconds.

Back in the middle of the cul-de-sac, Lee growled and shouted "Let us out of here, ya freak!"

Zachary replied tersely "I think you three could do with a little bit of punishment. It doesn't feel good, does it?"

Marie said "You better get rid of this bubble or you're gonna regret it, you winged weirdo!"

Zachary responded with "I think you three will remain in that bubble until you learn the lesson of respect and humility towards your peers. Hopefully, we all gain from it."

As Zachary looked up at the bubble calmly, Nazz and Ed entered the middle of the cul-de-sac and saw the Kankers encased inside the bubble. Their eyes widened in shock and surprise.

Nazz said "Woah, what is that?" as she pointed up at the bubble.

Zachary indifferently answered "It's where your friends will spend some time cooling off. As you can see, they are very upset and heated so I think some time away from others is in order. Wouldn't you?"

Nazz responded nervously with "Yeah but…this is a little over the top, isn't it? They're not exactly nice people but keeping them in a bubble is like controlling."

Ed said "That looks like the spaceship in Invasion of the Body Snatchers!" while he pointed to the bubble with the Kankers trapped inside.

Eddy and Eddward were crouched together nearby, far away that the Kankers wouldn't be able to see them but close enough that they would be able to see the Kankers coming near them. Eddy looked faintly nervous and Eddward was both afraid and confused.

Eddward asked "Excuse me, Eddy but do you hear anything right now?"

Eddy looked around and answered "Nah, not a sound, Abercrombie. Something's up. Either they've gone the other way or something bad's happened."

Eddward shivered and said "I certainly hope for our sake that it's the former. Who knows what these three could have done to some of our fellow peers." as he nervously looked around with a hint of fear.

Eddy replied "No offense, Abercrombie, but you're gonna end up being a wheat. Me, I'm gonna be a pip. But the only way I can do that is getting out of here with my tail intact." before he crouched and began crawling on the ground, motioning for Eddward to join him.

Eddward quickly did so as the two quickly but cautiously crawled away from their previous hiding spot. Meanwhile, Jonny and Plank were seated in the sandbox at the playground, supposedly carefree and generally oblivious to the problems that they and the others were facing.

Jonny said "It sure is a nice day out today, huh, Plank?" before he held the wooden board up to his ear and paused.

Jonny continued "What do ya mean, you're scared? What's there to be afraid of, you silly goose?" before he held the wooden board up to his ear once again.

Jonny's smile unexpectedly didn't fall flat when he pulled the wooden board away from his ear but it, in fact, began to stretch out into a semi-grin.

Jonny continued "Those girls are just dumb doras, you funny bird! I'm betting you that they've already scrammed off to their little hideout by now." before he got up and walked towards the middle of the cul-de-sac, carrying Plank in his right hand.

Kevin, on the other hand, was seated in the front seat of an old burner car in the junkyard. It had no doors, no gas and the driver's seat was reclined too far back to provide comfort but it had to do, given the circumstances. These Kankers lurking around and trying to beat him up gave him a chill, not that he would have admitted it loud. It actually reminded him of his uncle Ray. He used to yell, drink like a fish and smash anything in the house that he could get his hands on. Kevin dreaded every time Ray came for a visit.

Kevin gripped the hands of the steering wheel and closed his eyes. He began to daydream about driving a nice car around a racetrack and winning first place. He imagined himself in a red race suit, holding up a golden trophy containing the prize money. Then he began to imagine his house with Ray's car parked in the driveway. He imagined himself getting into the passenger seat and his idol, Harold White getting into the seat. He imagined the two of them driving the car over Ripper's Hole and the rest of his friends cheering. Kevin then imagined driving it over Ripper's Hole one last time, only to have it crash into the hole itself.

Kevin then opened his eyes and looked around. The junkyard, even with its many burnouts and scrap parts, was eerily quiet.

Kevin quickly got out of the car and began to head towards the middle of the cul-de-sac as he thought '_This whole thing is giving me the creeps. Where are those chicks?_'

In the meanwhile, Rolf was situated in an abandoned barn, looking out the slightly ajar door for the Kankers. The remnants of items in the barn such as a sharpened pitchfork stuck down in the hay and the opened latches of the stable doors made Rolf nervous and uncomfortable but also nostalgic. It made him long for the days where as a little boy, he would scamper around his family's large farm in Eastern Europe whilst the cows, bulls and pigs would feed and roam the acres of the land. Of course, the farm near the cul-de-sac was very small in comparison but there wasn't much that could be compared to his old country.

Rolf thought '_Thank goodness there aren't any bulls here._' with a sigh of relief.

Rolf then crept out of the barn with nervousness and fear pounding through every single beat of his heart. He felt a single drop of sweat run down his forehead. He then looked around and realized the abandoned barn was just that, empty of all other life. Rolf began to walk towards the cul-de-sac in the hopes of finding the blond girl he spoke to and the other kids as well.

The pair of Jimmy and Sarah sat down in the backyard of Ed and Sarah's house, waiting to see if anyone would come towards or past them. A pale Jimmy looked down at his pair of jeans as he picked at the blades of grass off them. He felt that it would make his clothing dirty which was the last thing he wanted. Jimmy found the loud, defiant Sarah a confident ally, similar to that he had in his brothers. Jimmy only wished that he came to appreciate his brothers more but he rarely saw them in school which didn't help his bullying situation.

Sarah ran a hand through her shoulder-length red hair and sighed. She then looked down at the grass with anger. This had to have something to do with stupid Ed, the grody odd ball. He was always doing something he shouldn't have been. Who did those Kankers think they were, anyway? Dolls? Freams were more like it. Somebody was going to have to stand up to them and if it had to be Sarah, she would do it in a heartbeat.

Sarah looked over at Jimmy and asked "How are you feeling, Jimmy?"

Jimmy answered quietly "I feel weezy, Sarah" before he began to breathe irregularly.

Sarah said "Jimmy?" as she started to shake him and he looked over at her with glossy eyes.

Jimmy replied "Yeah?" with embarrassment clouding his voice.

Sarah got up and said "Let's find those Kankers and give it what's coming to them. Come on!" before she grabbed Jimmy's arm and dragged him behind her.

Meanwhile, in the middle of the cul-de-sac, the Kankers were still banging on the bubble and trying to destroy it to no avail. Zachary looked at them with apathy while Nazz and Eddward looked at it with shock in Eddward's case and disappointment and irritation in Nazz's case. Ed was amazed at the bubble itself while Eddy laughed at the Kankers, taking the opportunity to taunt them mildly.

Eddy cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted "Hey, blabbermouths! How are you liking your little bubble booth, huh?"

A fleeting look of shock and surprise appeared on Lee's face before she pounded on the bubble and shouted "Let's see how you like it when you're in here with me!" in reply.

Eddward said "Eddy, don't antagonize them. They're already upset enough and why are they inside a bubble?"

Zachary answered indifferently "These girls needed to be shown the error of their ways. So they have been shown how it feels to be confined from everyone else."

Eddward protested "But by doing this ostracization, you're going to the same level as them. Wouldn't a more positive tactic be suitable here?"

Eddy replied "Sockhead, these dames have been scaring us all day. I'm not too sad to see them getting their just desserts, alright?"

The other children began to arrive and looked at the bubble in curiosity, shock, surprise and in one case, excitement. Jonny began to jump up and down while he held Plank up.

Jonny said "Look, buddy, isn't that bubble the berries?"

Kevin shouted "Hey, psychos, having fun up there? You look pretty happy to me. Maybe we should let this guy keep you in that thing."

Sarah shouted "Yeah, you stuck up freaks! Why don't you go back to Mars or that dump you call a house in the trailer park!"

Eddy laughed and shouted "Having fun in there, Ginger Snap?"

Jonny said loudly "Hey, look, Plank, one of those dumb doras is trying to bash on the sides. Can you believe that? Trying to pop a perfectly good bubble."

Rolf said "Has the buck-toothed freckled one managed to fix her teeth on the sides of the bubble?"

Jimmy replied "That blue-haired one's still running her mouth out. I think she should have it washed out with soap. Then again, I don't think any of them have learned to take showers." while a few of the other kids, Eddy notably included, laughed at his remark.

The only kids who didn't take part in the taunting were Eddward who felt that taunting the already furious Kankers was only escalating the situation, Nazz who thought putting the Kankers in the bubble in the first place was "overboard" and Ed who silently perceived the taunts as bullying which he firsthand experienced as a child.

Zachary shouted "That's enough!" in an angry tone.

The kids turned and looked at him, the Kankers included. Some of them had shocked and afraid looks on their faces while others appeared annoyed or angry.

Sarah said "What's the big idea, huh? Yelling at us like that?"

Zachary replied "These three were placed in that bubble to show them the consequences of their actions. It wasn't to be used as a stage and a holding cell for them to be treated like animals while you yell out venomous barbs and insults." before he lowered the bubble down, close to touching the ground.

Zachary continued "You all will be in this realm for quite a while so the least you can do is attempt to get along with one another. Time is too short to let yourself get concerned with revenge." before a blue light suddenly appeared from the sky.

A tall, middle-aged man with light brown hair and green eyes who was dressed in a blue robe and had a pair of large, angelic white wings descended down to the ground and stood still and silent.

Zachary cleared his throat, put his hands together, slightly bowed his torso towards the man and said "Phadedrus. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Phadedrus gave Zachary a look of anger, disappointment and a bit of confusion and responded with "I'm afraid this is displeasure I'm conveying right now, Zachary. Are you aware of how many Angel Council treaties and laws you have broken simply by entering this realm? The Council and the Fury are displeased and who can blame them?"

Phadedrus continued "I'm afraid I'm left with no choice but to close the Stream permanently and force you up to Heaven. There, you will go before the Council and face a tribunal. Do you object?"

Zachary looked at the children. He knew that what he did may have been legally wrong by Council rules but he wasn't about to let these children break each other into pieces. But what could he do? The closing of the Stream would be done, regardless of whatever he did.

Zachary sighed, stood straight, put his hands behind his back and clasped them together.

He then answered "I offer no objections to this forced tribunal, Phadedrus. You know that best."

Phadedrus nodded and solemnly said "Very well. You will now be forced to the tribunal." before he raised his right hand towards the bubble.

He said "_Confractus bulla_" and the bubble suddenly burst, releasing the confused and angry Kankers.

The blue light then surrounded Phadedrus and Zachary as they both began to ascend. At a certain height, the two vanished along with the blue light. The kids looked up at the sky then at the each other with confusion.

Nazz said "So what do we do now?"

Eddward responded with "I'm afraid I don't know but it appears that we are stuck here. The length of time for which we are, I can't determine."

* * *

**There we go. The last chapter of the Gates is finally done!**

**Benny: Emphasis on finally. What the hell took you so long? It's not like you went into a coma or anything, you moron.**

**I'm sorry that it took so long to get this chapter out to you guys. I have been busy over the past few months with school, college applications, exams, family and overall life. **

**Benny: *cough*garbage*cough***

**Thankfully, I found the strength to finally finish this chapter and thus, this story. There probably won't be a sequel to this. A stand-alone story connected to the Purgatory might be a possibility but I doubt it will happen.**

**Benny: Yeah, that will go into the Imagination Junkyard just like most of your other horrible "ideas".**

**You didn't need to make air quotes there, Benny. You could have just…said it?**

**Benny: Not when they're not ideas. That would be lying, darkshadow and there's no need to lie to your readers. *mutters* Not that it stops you from doing it…**

**Anyway, thanks for sticking around for this long! I'll be finishing Social Care by New Year's Eve and then I'll see where things go from here.**

**Benny: Don't tell me you're still gonna do those horrible Total Drama stories. They're not going to work out.**


End file.
